Stella Quilting

I’ve always been a “maker”. I loved my art classes in school. My maternal grandmother taught me to knit and she was always knitting when she sat down. My stepmother taught me to crochet along with the adage that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” I just (internally) rolled my eyes at that, but I do believe that it’s better to be doing something constructive than getting into trouble. Especially as the mother of many children!

I have to credit my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Kiehl, for my first quilt square, but my first actual quilt was made for my first baby. When I was pregnant with my oldest child in 1989 and joyfully preparing a nursery, I was drawn to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit book as a theme, found the perfect wallpaper border and decided to make a matching quilt, though I knew next to nothing about quilting! It’s typical of me, though, as I almost always prefer making something myself rather than buying it ready-made.

In the event, I decided to draw him freehand, applique him and his blue jacket to a floral background, echo quilt him by hand, tie the rest with floss, and self-bind it. I even gave him little felt slippers and a fuzzy tail!

If you don’t know what all those terms mean, rest assured that I didn’t either, at the time. I honestly don’t know how I knew how to do these things—most likely I did something crazy like went to the library and checked out a book and read it. Of course, today we would do an internet search and watch a video on how-to applique! Whatever it takes, we all start somewhere, learning skills a little at a time.

I’d love to know how you got started sewing, quilting, or stitching! Let me know in the comments.